A CONFERENCE IS A GATHERING OF PEOPLE WHO SINGLY CAN DO NOTHING, BUT TOGETHER CAN DECIDE THAT NOTHING CAN BE DONE.

1. DIFFERENT TYPES OF
MEETINGS

2. PRESENTATION
BY
MAJ GEN NILENDRA KUMAR
DIRECTOR, LEX CONSILIUM FOUNDATION

3. QUOTE:
“A CONFERENCE IS A GATHERING OF PEOPLE WHO SINGLY CAN
DO NOTHING, BUT TOGETHER CAN DECIDE THAT NOTHING
CAN BE DONE.”

4. TERMS USED
MEETINGS WORKSHOP
ROUND TABLE ASSEMBLY
COLLOQIUM CONGRESS
CONFERENCE DIALOGUE
SEMINAR SYMPOSIUM

5. NOMINCLATURE
THE DIFFERENCE ARE NOT MERELY NOMINCLATURE.
THE PURPOSE, FORMAT, LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION AND
FREQUENCY ALSO DIFFER.

6. MEETING
AN ASSEMBLY WHERE TWO OR MORE PEOPLE MEET, BY
CHANCE OR ARRANGEMENT.
IT COULD HAVE A FORMAL OR INFORMAL DELIBERATIVE
ASSEMBLY.

7. ASSEMBLY
IT IS A GROUP OF PEOPLE GATHERED TOGETHER IN ONE
PLACE FOR A COMMON PURPOSE.

8. CONFERENCE
IT IS A FORMAL MEETING OF PEOPLE WITH A SHARED
INTEREST , TYPICALLY ONE THAT TAKES PLACE OVER SEVERAL
DATS. DISCUSSES MATTERS OF COMMON INTEREST.

9. CONFERENCE
IT IS A FORMAL MEETING WHERE PARTICIPANTS EXCHANGE
THEIR VIEWS ON VARIOUS TOPICS.
THE DISCUSSION CAN TAKE PLACE IN DIFFERENT FIELDS AND
NEED NOT BE ACADEMIC IN NATURE.

10. EXAMPLES
o BERMUDA CONFERENCE, 19 APRIL, 1943.
o HAGUE CONFERENCE.
o VERSAILLES PEACE CONFERENCE.
o IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

11. HISTORICAL CONFERENCES
o ATLANTIC BETWEEN CHURCHILL, ROOSEVELT HOPKINS
(Aug 9th – 12th, 1941)
o TEHRAN BETWEEN CHURCHILL, ROOSEVELT & STALIN
(28th Nov – 1st Dec, 1943)
o YALTA BETWEEN CHURCHILL ROSEVELT & STALIN
(30th Jan – 2nd Feb 1945)
o POSTDAM BETWEEN STALIN, TRUMAN 7 ATTLEE
(17th Jul – 2nd Aug, 1945)

12. FRANCIS BACON
“READING MAKETH A FULL MAN, CONFERENCE A READY MAN
AND WRITING AN EXACT MAN.”

13. SEMINAR
AN ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION EITHER AT A UNIVERSITY, OR A
COMMERCIAL OR PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION.

14. EXAMPLES
o CLINICAL LEGAL EDUCATION SEMINARS.
o SEMINAR ON WOMEN AND CHILDREN RIGHTS.

15. SYMPOSIUM
IT IS A SMALLER CONFERENCE THAT GETS OVER IN A SINGLE
DAY WITH LESSER DELEGATES.

16. SYMPOSIUM
A MEETING OF NUMBER OF EXPERTS IN A PARTICULAR FIELD.
WILL USUALLY HAVE MORE THAN ONE SPEAKER.

17. WORKSHOP
IT INCLUDES ALL THE ELEMENTS OF A SEMINAR, BUT A
SIZEABLE PORTION IS IN FORM OF A LABORATORY WORK, OR
HANDS IN PRACTICE HELD ON A DEFINED AREA OF CONCERN.
IT HAS A SMALLER GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO MEET TOGETHER
FOR OVER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

18. ROUND TABLE
IT IS A FORM OF ACADEMIC DISCUSSION WHERE
PARTICIPANTS AGREE ON A SPECIFIC TOPIC TO DISCUSS AND
DEBATE.
EACH PERSON IS GIVEN EQUAL RIGHTS TO DISCUSS.

19. CONGRESS
IT IS TYPICALLY HELD ONCE A YEAR PER DISCIPLINE.

20. CONGRESS
IT IS A FORMAL MEETING OR SERIES OF MEETINFS FOR
DISCUSSION BETWEEN DELEGATES, FROM WITHIN A
PARTICULAR SPHERE OF ACTIVITY.

21. COLLOQUIUM
IT IS USUALLY AN ACADEMIC MEETINGS AT WHICH
SPECIALISTS DELIVER ADDRESSES ON A TOPIC OR RELATED
TOPICS, AND THEN ANSWER QUESTIONS DIRECTED AT THEM.

22. DIALOGUE
IT IS A CONVERSATION OR DISCUSSION TO RESOLVE A
PROBLEM.
EXAMPLE:
o THE RAISINA DIALOGUE.
o 2 + 2 DIALOGUE BETWEEN INDIA & US.

23. FORUM
IT IS A SITUATION OR MEETING IN WHICH PEOPLE CAN TALK
ABOUT A FORUM OR A MATTER OF PUBLIC INTEREST.

24. FORUM
IT MAY ALSO REFER TO A PLACE OR GROUP ON INTERNET
WHERE PEOPLE CAN LEAVE MESSAGES OR DISCUSS
PARTICULAR SUBJECTS WITH OHTERS AT THE SAME TIME.

25. EXAMPLES/TYPES
o INTERNATIONAL FORUM
o ECONOMIC FORUM
o POLICY FORUM

26. SUMMIT
A MEETING BETWEEN HEADS OF GOVERNMENTS.
EXAMPLE:
o MADRID SUMMIT
o G – 7 SUMMIT

27. PARALLEL SESSION
A MULTIPLE TRACK MEETING HAS SEVERAL PARALLEL
SESSIONS WITH SPEAKERS IN SEPARATE ROOMS SPEAKING AT
THE SAME TIME.

28. EXAMPLE
A SEMINAR ON CHILD RIGHTS COULD HAVE PARALLEL
SESSIONS ON
o CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
o CHILD SOLDIERS
o CHILD LABOUR
o CHILD MARRIAGES
o TRAFFICKING

29. CHATHAM RULE
THE PARTICIPANTS ARE FREE TO USE THE INFORMATION
RECEIVED BUT NEITHER THE IDENTITY NOR THE AFFLIATION
OF THE SPEAKER (S) NOR THAT OF ANY OTHER PARTICIPANTS
MAY BE REVEALED.

30. PUBLIC OFFICE HOLDERS
A MEETING MAY SEE PRESENCE OF MULTIPLE EMINENT OR
DISTINGUISHED PERSONS OR PUBLIC OFFICE HOLDERS. THIS
MAY PRESENT PROBLEMS OF PROTOCOL.
THIS MAY PRESENT PROBLEMS OF PROTOCOL.
HOW TO SOLVE THEM?

31. CHIEF GUEST
THE MAIN GUEST OF THE EVENT, WHO IS USUALLY A GOOD
ORATOR.
HE IS INVITED TO BENEFIT THE AUDIENCE WITH HIS VIEWS
AND IMPROVE POPULARITY.

32. GUEST OF HONOUR
THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON, AFTER THE CHIEF GUEST, AT
AN EVENT.

33. DIFFERENCE:
CHIEF GUEST & GUEST OF HONOUR
GUEST OF HONOUR IS INVITED TO TAKE OVER AS THE CHIEF
GUEST, IN HIS ABSENCE OR FOR GIVING SOCIAL,
PROFESSIONAL OR ACADEMIC BENEFIT OF THE EVENT.

34. DISTINGUISHED GUEST
MEANS A GUEST WHO IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM OTHER
GUESTS, IN A GOOD WAY, AT ANY EVENT.

35. HONOURED GUEST
IS THE ONE WHO IS HELD IN HIGH ESTEEM.

36. KEY NOTE SPEAKER
A PERSON WHO DELIVERS A SPEECH THAT SETS OUT THE
CENTRAL THEME OF THE CONFERENCE.

37. SPECIAL GUESTS
A TYPICALLY WELL KNOWN PERSON WHO IS INVITED TO
APPEAR OR PERFORM AT AN EVENT OR SHOW.

38. RAPPORTEUR
IS A PERSON WO IS APPOINTED BY AN ORGANISATION TO
REPORT ON THE PROCEEDINGS OF ITS MEETINGS.

39. REMEMBER
FOUR THINGS FOR THE SUCCESS OF ANY MEETING.
o NOTICE
o AGENDA
o PARTICIPANTS
o TIME MANAGEMENT
o MINUTES
AND YES, REFRESHMENTS TOO.

40. CONCLUSION
“CONFERENCES ARE ASSEMBLIES OF PEOPLE WHO ARGUE
ABOUT HOW TO CONDUCT AN ARGUMENT AND END BY
SENDING A TELEGRAM OF CONGRATULATION TO THE
MINISTER.”
-“COCAINE” BY PITIGRILLLI